Equius3Aradia
by Cryssii
Summary: Aradia visits Equius in the night for a repair but they end up talking amongst other things.


"Equius, are you there?" A questioning voice called through the darkness, the hollow tone echoing around as the figure waited for a reply. Artificial light flooded the ground as the front door began creaking open, the harsh orange glow spilling from the gap. A broad-shouldered troll stood in the doorway, blocking out the fluorescent beams as he stared out in front of him, his irritated expression quickly changing as shock took over his face mingling with suppressed delight as he saw who was there. "Aradia... What are you doing here?" he questioned her before hastily adding: "Not that I mind you visiting of course, it's just a bit of a surprise. It's very late after all." He stopped himself from saying anymore, realising that he was rambling. "Please... come in," Equius stepped to the side, allowing her access to his hive.  
>"Thank you, I'm sorry for bothering you at this hour." Aradia stepped forward into the light, her metal eyelids sliding shut to conceal her striking crimson eye which stared directly at Equius when they eventually reopened. Her metallic body glinted as she moved, redirecting the light that hit it and sending it bouncing off in different directions; Equius couldn't help but stare. "It's honestly not a problem but I do request that you excuse me for a moment, I appear to require a towel," he vanished into the next room immediately after finishing speaking without waiting for a response. A small sigh slipped through Aradia's blue lips as she watched him go, glancing around at her surroundings while she waited. Random scraps of metal and various robotic parts were scattered across the floor. She was so caught up in looking that she didn't notice Equius' return, having dried himself off, and jumped slightly when he spoke her name.<br>"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just I am still curious as to why you are here though." The blue blood examined her up and down, noticing how one of her arms hung limp by her side, he glanced at her with an anguished expression. "You are damaged," he murmured, kneeling down and taking the arm in his hands; delicately handling it as if it were the most fragile petal. Aradia avoided his gaze, feeling slightly bad for breaking his robot for the second time, "yes, I fell a few days ago and hit my shoulder. Now I have lost all feeling in the arm and cannot move it." She explained to him, blinking again as he inspected up and down the arm. She felt slightly awkward coming to him for help, especially as the last time she had interacted with him properly she had beaten the shit out of him before kissing him. The memory sent tingles through her robotic spine, "this is why I came to see you." She confessed, "I had hoped it would sort itself out but apparently that isn't going to happen." Her gaze rolled upwards as Equius stood up; staring up at him "do you think you will be able to fix it?" She inquired.  
>"Of course I will, I will just have to extract whatever is faulty and conduct a few repairs." He hesitated before capturing her cold hand in his own, leading her away to another room. A few lanterns provided dim lighting for the shadow drenched room; the grey walls were damp and bleak and provided a dreary atmosphere. A long metal table stood in the centre of the room, the silver gleaming. Equius let his robotic creation over to the table and took a step back, gesturing for her to sit on it. "I don't imagine it will take long," he told her as she climbed onto the table, sitting on it and looking at him. "That's good. I'm sorry for bothering you about this." She tried not to fidget under his touch, the blue blood placed inside her stirring within its metal prison.<br>"Is everything alright?" He asked while removing the front panel of metal on her chest, the blue Aries symbol standing out profoundly against the metal. He placed it aside and began to carefully readjust a few wires before locating the source of the problem. "As I suspected, the nerves in your shoulder have disconnected from the impact, I simply need to attach them and you will be as perfect as ever." Aradia frowned slightly, nodding in a simple answer to him, her lips pursed together in silence. Equius matched her frown, "An expression such as that is not fitting of someone of such elegance and grace. What is the matter?" He questioned here with a severe look on his face, adjusting his cracked glasses slightly. The mechanical troll paused before looking at him dead on, "You will not be attempting to place any more chips or anything similar in me, will you?" Stepping back, Equius frowned and gave her a long look, studying her expression before stepping closer again to resume work on her. "I assure you I will not be attempting anything like that again. After all, what happened last time was absolute horrific." He reconnected the last nerve, the electricity making a popping sound as it secured. "Unless it were to end in the same way as it did," He smiled slightly at the thought before slotting the square of metal back onto Aradia's front, "all done." He told her, looking up only to find her glaring at him causing him to falter slightly. "What happened was unintentional. It wasn't supposed to happen and it won't happen again." Her words were cold as she addressed him, stabbing at his chest like icicles. "Y-yes, of course I know that," he stammered, "completely unintentional." He turned away, muttering to himself, to move a few parts of scrap metal. Aradia paused and gave him a hard look "Was it unintentional on your part?" her quiet words came out almost like a hiss. Equius gave a nervous laugh and walked towards the wall, staring at it intently. The Aradiabot blueprints were pinned to the surface; every tiny detail documented on paper with every miniscule adjustment noted now. He had designed her to be absolutely perfect. She was precise, accurate and there was no doubt that she was his greatest work to date.  
>"Answer me, blue blood." Aradia hopped down from the table from the table and strode over, grabbing Equius by the shoulder and spinning him around, forcing him against the wall. He let out a sharp exclamation as his back hit the hard rock, a bead of sweat forming and trickling down the side of his face. "Did you intend for it to happen?" she demanded, still pinning him against the wall by his neck using her newly functioning arm. Equius was perspiring quite heavily by this time and he was trying extremely hard not to show his twisted pleasure. "C-can I not answer that?" he managed too rasp out, his arms hanging loosely by his side with his hands clenched into fists. Letting out a sigh, Aradia released him and turned away. The higher blooded troll clutched at his neck, wheezing as her regained his breath, peering up at her with curiosity. "Perhaps it is best if you don't," she murmured, glancing over her shoulder back at him, rubbing her metallic arm. "Maybe I should go..." the suggestion hung in the air, mingling with the silence for a few moments before Equius took a small step towards her. Aradia refused to look him in the eye. "You don't have to you know," he paused to wipe his face, "you are more than welcome to stay."<br>Turning around slowly with slow blinking eyes that smouldered in the dim lighting, Aradia stepped forward, closing the gap between them. "Would it be bold of me to say that you enjoy my company?" Her gaze was directed straight up at him, blinking slowly as she waited for her reply. Gulping, Equius nodded and returned her stare "that is correct." The robotic form searched his expression fleetingly, "I just wanted to clarify but I will not mention it again if you do not wish me too." She back away and glanced around, not sure what to do with herself now. Eyebrows furrowing, Equius shook his head, "It's not necessarily a sore topic. Just one that I am slightly afraid of, I thought for a moment you were going to kill me last time we met." Aradia looked up at his words, her gaze flashing slightly "I'm sure you will recall that I did not kill you, in fact it was sort of the opposite but I will try to prevent it from repeating itself in the future." The male troll's lips parted slightly and he frowned, "If you must." He replied simply.  
>"You seem reluctant about that idea."<br>"I might be."  
>"Do I dare ask you why your attitude has changed so suddenly?"<br>"Uhh... Well." Equius paused and stepped forward again towards Aradia, placing both of his hand on her shoulders and staring down at her. She simply returned his gaze, blinking slowly. "I'm not very good at this but..." He sighed and closed his eyes, biting on his lip before speaking. "Aradia, I have had flushed feelings for you for a long time." Vibrant eyes that gleamed scarlet flickered slightly, if she had a living body she might have even been blushing at this time. Who knows? "I know Equius..." She broke off and her eyes narrowed into glowing slits, "and I don't know whether it's the blood you pumped through me or if they are real but I have some sort of feelings for you. I can't decipher if they are flushed or caliginous however." She frowned, "I am not used to these emotions any more, they are confusing and I don't understand what is real and what isn't."  
>Equius remained silent as she spoke, listening intently. So she did return his feelings, maybe not as obsessively as he appeared to be but even so, there was something there. Metal clacked together as Aradia pulled herself free from her companions grip, shaking her head slowly. "I have to go..." she muttered before fleeing up the stairs, her steps creating hollow thuds as she ran. The blue blood followed her only to find his front door open with the robotic troll nowhere in sight. He groaned and leant the doorframe, ignoring the crack that formed due to the burden of the wood supporting his mass. The shadows outside rippled slightly as Aradiabot appeared again, almost out of nowhere and stepped up to Equius. She slipped her hands around his waist and hoisted herself up, kissing him gently on the lips much to his surprise and delight. He buried a hand into her woven hair and pulled her close, returning the kiss hungrily. After a few moments Aradia broke their lips apart and pulled away from him, stepping free from his hold and backing away with slow, deliberate steps. She stared at him with eyes that glinted, void of the emotion that boiled inside of her, confusion being the main one. After a few moments she turned and disappeared into the black, the shadows submerging her figure completely and hiding her from sight, leaving a thoroughly perplexed Equius staring after her.<p> 


End file.
